With only $2.4 million available in salary-cap space, the Falcons will have to make sacrifices to free up money for Ryan's contract.

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The squeeze already is being felt on the offensive line. The Falcons announced the release of veteran right tackle Tyson Clabo on Thursday morning. Clabo had been designated as a post-June 1 cut by the Falcons, a source told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, saving the team $4.5 million with the move. Clabo's agent, Chad Speck, announced the news on Twitter.

The Falcons decided Clabo's salary was a luxury they could no longer afford. Lamar Holmes, drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, is the top in-house candidate to take over. Ryan's offensive line becomes one of the Falcons' biggest question marks, with new starters at center and right tackle.